Keldon Powell: Farming and Ranching are a large part of who he is
By Diana Walker
An active and involved Big Country Agricultural Society volunteer, Keldon is attending Lethbridge Polytechnic in the Civil Engineering Technology Diploma program.
Last fall, he took business and finance classes at Olds College to gain knowledge of running a farm as a business and to manage his own finances for better sustainability. He spent the spring working with Precision Drilling near Grande Prairie and operated equipment for Special Areas for the third consecutive summer.
Keldon, one of three Big Country Agricultural Society annual scholarships recipients, receives the first half of his $1,000 scholarship from BCAS director/scholarship committee member Kerry Molzan. Recipients must reside within the Special Areas and have completed Grade 12 from a school within Prairie Rose School Division north of the Red Deer River, or any school within Prairie Land School Division. They must be enrolled at a post-secondary institution in a post secondary course that would enhance rural living.
The son of Haley and Calvin Powell of Youngstown, Keldon grew up on his parents’ farm where he learned many things.
“It taught me to be dependable and hardworking,” says Keldon. “I have always been an adaptive learner, and I enjoy learning new things. Coming from a community-involved family, I have spent time with Big Country Agricultural Society as a volunteer and a participant in the Crossroads Centre.”
Over the past four years, Keldon helped host the team roping jackpot series, the rough stock winter series, the Beef Expo, the 2022 Rugged Rodeo and the 2023 and 2024 IRA Indoor Rodeos.
“I helped with planning, setting up, running cattle, operating the stripping chute and prize committee decisions,” says Keldon.
On behalf of 4-H and his high school rodeo club, Keldon helped with the Beef Expo set up and take down.
He volunteered in surrounding communities during his 7-year 4-H career including the Cereal Athletic Association with Cereal Kids Rodeo. He also designed, manufactured and donated a stripping chute for their rodeo grounds. Through Big Country High School Rodeo Club, he helped organize and host a three-day rodeo for hundreds of his peers during the four years of his high school rodeo career.
Keldon competed for four years in Alberta High School Rodeo in team roping, steer wrestling, tie-down roping and lite rifle shooting. He represented Alberta in Lite Rifle Shooting at the 2021 Nationals in Lincoln, Nebraska and qualified again for the 2022 and 2023 Nationals. He qualified for 2022 and 2023 provincials in team roping and steer wrestling and competed in amateur rodeo during 2022-2024. He enjoyed competing at the college rodeo level last year, qualifying for the finals in both team roping and steer wrestling.
“After school, I plan to return to the Special Areas where I hope to farm while working within my field of civil engineering. The Special Areas is home to me. I consider farming and ranching a large part of who I am. The communities within the Special Areas have done so much for me that by returning to the area, I hope to give back to the communities," concludes Keldon.